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Probiotics are sensitive organisms which are vulnerable to lifestyle habits such as stress, poor food choices, low fibre diet, alcohol, and high sugar and fat diet. These factors allow harmful bacteria to survive and thrive over the beneficial ones, often leading to a wide range of health problems.

INGREDIENT INFORMATION
Support gastrointestinal health and digestion
Constipation is a common problem in Australia and can affect up to 30% of the population1. Probiotics have been used to help improve constipation.
Research shows that Bifidobacterium animalis can help improve bowel motions significantly within 1-2 weeks of use2, and that Lactobacillus casei can bring relief within 4 weeks3. Both strains are included in Microgenic’s Probiotics 35 billion.

Probiotics can also help relieve diarrhoea. Studies show that Bifidobacterium lactis can significantly reduce diarrhoea as a result of viral gastroenteritis4 and that Lactobacillus reuteri can reduce the duration of viral diarrhoea5. Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii bulgaricus are particularly beneficial to reduce the incidence of traveller’s diarrhoea in numerous studies6.

Probiotics have also been found to be beneficial in Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis and Diverticular Disease6.

Support a healthy immune system
Approximately 70-80% of our entire immune system lives in the gut7. The lining of the intestines forms a barrier against microbes and other harmful substance, but is dependent upon probiotics to do its job. If probiotics aren’t present in sufficient numbers, then the lining of the intestines does not regenerate and microbes may enter our system, which can lead to many health problems.

There are several studies that show the importance of probiotics to protect us against microbial infections. In one study8, probiotics were shown to be beneficial to protect against viral infections, while two other studies showed that consumption of probiotics for a 12-week period could reduce the risk of getting the common cold in healthy individuals, and the duration and severity of those who attracted it9,10. Another study showed that only 53% of participants who took a probiotic supplement got the common cold versus 80% of those who didn’t take it; and that symptoms of the common cold lasted 3.4 days in those who took a probiotic supplement instead of 5.8 days.

Support with Upper Respiratory Tract Infections (URTI)
Most acute URTIs are caused by viral infections and usually resolve after three to seven days, but are often accompanied by fever. Probiotics have been found to be effective in reducing the frequency of an acute URTI by 47% and the duration by 2 days11,12. Studies on Bifidobacterium animalis subspecies lactis Bl-04 (Bl-04) have shown this strain specifically can reduce the risk of respiratory illness episodes by 27% over a 5 month winter season in healthy active adults13.

Probiotics after a course of antibiotics
Probiotics are recommended after a course of antibiotics, as antibiotics kill off the good bacteria as well as the bad ones. This can lead to diarrhoea, a common side-effect of antibiotics. Taking a probiotic will help reintroduce good bacteria to the digestive tract, and may help reduce the side effects of a course of antibiotics. It is recommended to take the probiotics at least 6 hours away from the antibiotics, e.g. if you take antibiotics in the morning, take the probiotics at night.